Digestive diseases week (DDW) was held in Washington, DC over the past several days. FSIE had a strong showing! Special congratulations goes to Dr Ahmed Zihni for presenting "Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy VS POEM: Evolving Criteria for Treatment Selection" which took a critical look at not only the clinical outcomes of the two procedures but also the role insurance plays in the once doctor-patient decision for treatment. The work was also given the prestigious honor of being highlighted in the "Best of DDW" all society session. Great job team!  Some other FSIE DDW highlights include: 

• POEM for Achalasia: presented by Lee L Swanstrom
• Is GERD the Cause and Can GEJ Cancers Be Prevented? presented by Steve R DeMeester
• Does Treatment of the Hiatus Influence the Outcomes of Magnetic Sphincter Augmentation for Chronic GERD: presented by Matias Mihura of Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Christy M Dunst co-author
• POEM: The Mistakes That I have Learned From: presented by Lee L Swanstrom
• In Favor of the Wrap: presented by Lee L Swanstrom
• Laparoscopic Transhiatal Esophagectomy for Invasive Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: poster presented by Christy M Dunst. 

Congratulations to Portland Surgical President (and FSIE innovations team member) Dr. Valerie Halpin and the committee for creating another outstanding program for the annual Portland Surgical Scientific Session held at Good Samaritan Hospital. This year marks the first time in history that all four society executives were women surgeons since the society's inception in 1948. While appreciating this nod toward gender equality, we were reminded that as a surgical community, we may still have work to do. Dr Heather Hoops and colleagues from OHSU presented their findings demonstrating gender-based differences in surgical resident training. Their study showed that mid-level male trainees were given more autonomy than their female counterparts despite similar objective technical aptitude. This difference disappeared by their chief years. This timely and thought provoking work lead to a discussion of potential etiologies. Are gender-based "differences" necessarily discriminatory on the part of the instructors? Or perhaps they reveal gender-based differences in learning styles and/or perceptions of confidence (possibly over confidence) that impact the instructors willingness to let go of the reigns. This type of work and discussion signifies an inspiring willingness to investigate important issues citywide among Portland surgeons. During the conference, the society also tackled quality and performance improvement issues in a lecture by invited guest professor Dr Vance Sohn. His lecture was flanked by a multitude of scientific presentations highlighting the important work done by surgical investigators throughout the city. Here are the FSIE highlights:

• Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy vs POEM: Evolving Criteria for Achalasia Treatment Selection Presented by Dr Thomas Knowles
• Subjective & Objective Evaluation of Hiatal Closure Tension During Paraesophageal Hernia Repair Presented by Dr Walaa Abdelmoaty
• The Utility of Immunological Markers in Prognostication of Upfront Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A cohort study from an academic community hospital Presented by Dr Ephraim Tang
• Weight Loss and Quality of Life in Patients with a Temporary Intra-gastric Balloon Presented by Dr Reid Shepard

Congratulations to Dr Tang for winning the Translational Research Award! The session concluded with the banquet at the Portland Golf Club where guests were delighted by a presentation titled "What it's Like to be a Woman on a Fishing Boat" by fisher poet, author and performer, Moe Bowstern. Overall, the meeting was a triumphant success for Portland Surgical and FSIE is proud to be part of such an innovative and collaborative community!